360 In the papers

[hatch360]

I found some articles from the news archive:

Special Supplement
COUPES & SPORTS SEDANS
David Robertson
3559 words
12 March 1987
Sydney Morning Herald
6
English

VOLVO
360 GLT $26,840. THIS little Dutch-built car with Volvo badges isn't really a Volvo. It's a bastardised DAF. But, that aside, it's marketed as one and seems to have convinced quite a few Aussies, a lot of them women, that it's just the thing for safety, longevity and strength. Chunkily styled but not over-endowed with performance, it is a practical 5-door hatchback with reasonable performance. Fuel consumption: For the manual on the city cycle, 10 l/100kms, and 5.8 l/100kms on the highway.

News and Features
MIXED GRILLE
By Peter McKay
624 words
2 September 1989
Sydney Morning Herald
88
English
Copyright of John Fairfax Group Pty Ltd


Toyota's new 100kW Corolla SX - not, as far as I know, dubbed Bluebird -will go out after records set by a Volvo 360 in 1984.

News and Features
LITTLE CAR, BIG PERFORMANCE
By PETER McKAY
630 words
16 September 1989
Sydney Morning Herald
98
English


The new SX Corolla sensibly gets a package of performance gear to complement its under-bonnet oomph. Larger-diameter, gas-filled dampers, firmer coil springs and anti-roll bars and lower-profile 60-series tyres on alloy wheels, provide sharper handling.
Six racing drivers, including Toyota regulars John Smith, John Faulkner and Drew Price, worked in shifts for 24 hours to smash 17 under-2.0-litre records held by a Volvo 360.

Cars Guide

I didnt know the 360 broke records

[petefarrell360]

Interesting stuff. Somewhere I have some info or I've read about the 360 breaking records for the endurance driving around an oval track somewhere, possible Aus. I'll see what I can find.....

Pete

[foggyjames]

THIS little Dutch-built car with Volvo badges isn't really a Volvo.

...apart from huge chunks of the car being borrowed from the 240...

Sooner or later I'll meet a motoring journalist I don't want to slap

Interesting about the records. A 300 held the diesel (production car?) land speed record at one point.

cheers

James

[petefarrell360]

Sooner or later I'll meet a motoring journalist I don't want to slap

Interesting about the records. A 300 held the diesel (production car?) land speed record at one point.

cheers

James

LOL, yeah, I hate reading the articles, "Reliable car apart from the rubber band driven variomatic models, liable to go wrong etc etc." No....... it's the fools who have no idea how to service them, or those that don't take care of them. It works, it does require some checking now and then and maintenance, as with most things, otherwise, yes, it will go wrong! The variomatic in my opinion is a very overlooked car and has a bad imagine, mainly due to the press at the time. If you mention the word variomatic to most people who have half a clue, they'll probably come up with the fact they've heard it's unreliable, no good, goes wrong etc........

And a 300 DIESEL, land speed record? James, are you feeling ok, sure you've not dreamt this one up! What was pushing or towing it along! Well, anything is possible I suppose, if it met certain criteria to set the record, and these things normally have silly rules and regs, then it's quite possible. As I'm sure from what I remember reading about the 24 hour records with the 360 GLT, it was something another similar car might have been able to do, if it was reliable enough, but the 360 was the one to be used and set the records.

Pete

[Tourinki]

And a 300 DIESEL, land speed record? James, are you feeling ok, sure you've not dreamt this one up! What was pushing or towing it along! Well, anything is possible I suppose, if it met certain criteria to set the record, and these things normally have silly rules and regs, then it's quite possible. As I'm sure from what I remember reading about the 24 hour records with the 360 GLT, it was something another similar car might have been able to do, if it was reliable enough, but the 360 was the one to be used and set the records.

Pete

Yes believe or not it's true. According to Volvos History book (i didn't find correct word) The car was 343 with plastic body. And it was world record for under two liter diesels. Book doesn't say how fast it went.

Also there is another record done with 300 series Volvo. Four finnish motoring journalists made new world record in how long distance you can reverse in 24 hours. New record was 1769km average speed of 73,7km/h. Car isn't mentioned in the book but it had variomatic. Place where that record was set was Keimola race circuit somewhere near of Vantaa in Finland.

I know few magazines which have tested at least 360 but i am not sure about 340

[foggyjames]

I think it might have been the 5cyl (2.0) version of the (VAG) D24 unit used in the 2/7/900 series.

cheers

James